Could/Would you drift the Yakima in a canoe?

In a old video on YouTube of Lee Wulff fishing for salmon in Canada (I believe), he was running a pretty swift river in a canoe. Does this require a lot of skill and practice?

Right now, the only watercraft that I own is a 16' Old Town canoe. Is it advisable or not advisable to drift rivers in such a craft? I'm not talking about fishing FROM the canoe, just drifting from spot to spot down the river.

I would not do it without taking some classes. There are some key strokes that you need to know and how to ferry across rivers, eddy turns, etc. It was one of these "key strokes" that kept me off a rock in the middle of the Smith River, MT. There is more to canoing a river than just pointing it downstream. Years ago, I took a class through Highline Community College. You should check with a few of the canoe vendors to see what classes they offer.

I drifted down the Yakima, once, from Bighorn to Red's. Myself and two other guys did it in a driftboat rented from Red's. That was last year, around this very time. The water up a bit and running kind of fast. There is no way in the world that I would try it in a canoe--either by myself or with another. For me to even begin to think about it, flows would have to be way, way down. At that point, you'd really be dodging boulders. If the flows were that low, I'd end up choosing to wade anyway.

I remember fishing the snoqualmie several years ago and some big german looking dude came downstream STANDING in a canoe using just a long pole to steer through some fairly fast water.

Anyway, not all canoes are made the same. Some are made for rivers, some lakes, and some both\neither... I wouldn't do it. Maybe when I was younger.... My dad and a friend of his used to do some crazy stuff in canoes in the rivers - like running the skookumchuck at flood stage...

I don't think that's a problem at all. I float the Yakima alot. Got my boat parked down at Reds. Often I'll see canoes on the river... It's not very challenging if you stay in the Canyon. Unless you have some experience I'd stay out of the Farm lands (or farther up river) - That could be tricky.

My father runs a whitewater canoe. it's a canoe made for rivers...
on that note, i've seen more than a few canoes in the canyon. It can be done, but i wouldn't just go throwing my old town in the river and go for it. some lwhitewater lessons, maybe find someone with experience to go with you...

I had fun pulling two freaked out canoers to shore on the yakima last summer. They were really inexperienced and tried to put in at the east cle elum launch. They looked horrified before their canoes were in the water and a quarter mile downstream when i saw their cooler and then them floating down hysterically screaming i did my best to help them out but they were panicking and it took awhile to get them to stop trying to get in the boat. Anyways they dumped their canoe (later found out there were two canoes, both dumped) not five feet from the launch. And the best part about it was after i got them to shore the guy was a jerk and didnt even thank us for our efforts. Basically what i was trying to say is dont float the upper river. Stay in the lower canyon

That reminds me of the time we spotted a group of kayakers desperately trying to get one of their kayaks out from under the logjam just downstream from the East Cle Elum launch. There wasn't anyone trapped in the kayak and there wasn't much we could do to help from the drift boat, so we just kind of gave them a "Man, that sucks" look and kept on fishing.

In a old video on YouTube of Lee Wulff fishing for salmon in Canada (I believe), he was running a pretty swift river in a canoe. Does this require a lot of skill and practice?

Right now, the only watercraft that I own is a 16' Old Town canoe. Is it advisable or not advisable to drift rivers in such a craft? I'm not talking about fishing FROM the canoe, just drifting from spot to spot down the river.

if folks have trouble running the yak in a watermaster, then (just winging it ) in a canoe is asking for it.
it's not just the water flow that is an issue. the wind can ruin your day as well.
there are some sections that are shallow.... one little unexpected bump and you can
lose your balance.

if you do go, aside from the obvious.....pfd, you might want a whitewater helmet as
there are lots of rocks, a safety/water rescue rope is a good idea too.
don't go alone, also don't bring anything in the boat you can afford to lose.

Just because someone in a Watermaster had problems doesn't mean an experienced canoeist can't do it. I sure as hell wouldn't do it in a canoe. But, some folks who are outfitted for running whitewater with their canoe would have no problem.

There's a big difference between an Old Town canoe and one designed for whitewater though.